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Tuesday, 13 November 2012

close up

Years ago I worked for a small regional newspaper. My boss was a big fan of the close up. He was an avid photographer and, as editor, had both a darkroom at work and one in his home.

He recommended pulling the zoom right in, so the top of the person's head was cut off. He said this created a more intimate image, as though you were talking to them - as in this beautiful portrait of Tom, above.

Some time later, in another country and another job, I was tasked with taking my then employer's portrait for her website. I zoomed in close for all of the pictures and took what I thought were intimate images of a craftsperson at work.

Later, we looked through the photos, selecting them for the website. In horror, she gasped:

"You've chopped off the top of my head!"

Close up - suit yourself! I'm a fan of a little less forehead, a little more intimacy. Next time, I will ask first...